All the praise and Thanks are due to Allāh, the Lord of the al-ā’lamīn. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad, sallallāhu alaihi wa sallam, is His Messenger.

Forbiddance to Observe Perpetual Fast and Excellence of Observing Fast on Alternate Days

Yahya ibn Abu Kathir reported: I and ‘Abdullah ibn Yazid set out till we came to Abu Salamah. We sent a messenger to him (in his house in order to inform him about our arrival) and he came to us. There was a mosque near the door of his house, and we were in that mosque, till he came out to us. He said: If you like you may enter (the house) and, if you like, you may sit here (in the mosque). We said: We would rather sit here and (you) relate to us.

I (Ibn Amr) used to observe fast uninterruptedly and recited the (whole of the) Qur’ān every night.It was mentioned to Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) or he sent for me, and I went to him and he (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said to me: I have been informed that you fast continuously and recite (the whole of the Qur’ān) every night.

I said: O Rasūlullāh, it is right, but I desire thereby nothing but good, whereuponhe (Rasūlullāh Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: It suffices for you that you should observe fast for three days during every mouth. I said: O Rasullulāh, I am capable of doing more than this. He (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: Your wife has a right upon you, your visitor has a right upon you, your body has a right upon you; so observe the fast of Dawud, the Apostle of Allāh (‘alaihissalam), for he was the best worshipper of Allāh. I said: O Rasūlullāh, what is the fast of Dawud? He (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: He used to fast one day and did not fast the other day.

He (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) (also) said: Recite the Qur’an during every month. I said: O Rasūlullāh, I am capable of doing more than this, whereupon he (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: Recite it in twenty days; recite it in ten days. I said: I am capable of doing more than this, whereupon he (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: Recite it every week, and do not exceed beyond this, for your wife has a right upon you, your visitor has a right upon you; your body has a right upon you.

He (‘Amr ibn ‘As) said: I was hard to myself and thus I was put to hardship. Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) had told me: ‘You do not know you may live long (thus and bear the hardships for a long time), and I accepted that which Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) had told me. When I grew old I wished I had availed myself of the concession (granted by) Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam).

This hadith has been narrated by Yahya ibn Abu Kathir with the same chain of transmitters and he made this addition after these words: During every month, (fasting) for three days, there is for you ten times for every good and that is perpetual fasting (for three days would bring a reward for full thirty days). I said: What is the fast of the Apostle of Allāh, Dawūd? He said: Half of the age (observing fast on alternate days for the whole life). And in the hadith no mention has been made of the recital of the Qur’an, and he did not say: Your visitor has a right upon you, but (instead) he said: Your son has a right upon you.

[Sahih Muslim, Book 6, Number 2588]

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As (radiallāhu’anhu) reported that Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) was informed that he could stand up for (prayer) throughout the night and observe fast every day so long as he lived. ThereuponRasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: Is it you who said this? I said to him: Rasūlullāh, it is me who said that.Thereupon Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: You are not capable enough to do so. Observe fast and break it; sleep and stand for prayer, and observe fast for three days during the month; for every good is multiplied ten times and this is like fasting forever.

I then said: Rasūlullāh, I am capable of doing more than this. Thereupon he (Rasūlullāh Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam)said: Fast one day and do not fast for the next two days.I said: Messenger of Allāh, I have the strength to do more than that. Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: Fast one day and break on the other day. That is known as the fasting of Dawud (‘alaihissalam) and that is the best fasting. I said: I am capable of doing more than this. Thereupon Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: There is nothing better than this.

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (radiallāhu’anhum) said: Had I fasted the three days (fasting during every month) as Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) had said, it would have been dearer to me than my family and my property.

[Sahih Muslim, Book 6, Number 2587]

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As (radiallāhu’anhu) reported that Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: ‘Abdullah, don’t be like so and so who observed prayer during the whole night and then abandoned it (altogether).

Abdu’llah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘As (radiallāhu’anhum) reported: It was conveyed Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) that I observe fast successively and pray during the whole night. He sent for me or I met him and he (the Holy Prophet) said: It has been conveyed to me that you observe fast continuously and do not break it and pray during the whole night. Don’t do that. for there is share for your eyes, share for your own self, share for your family; so observe fast and break it, pray and sleep and observe fast for one day during the ten days, and there is a reward for you (for other) nine (days besides the tenth day of the fast). I said: Rasūlullāh, I find myself more powerful than this. He said: Then observe the fast of Dawud (‘alaihissalam). He (‘Amr) said: Apostle of Allāh, how did Dawud observe fast? He (Rasūlullāh) said: He used to fast one day and break it on the other day, and he did not run (from the battlefield) as he encountered (the enemy). He said: Apostle of Allāh, who can guarantee this for me (will I also encounter the enemy dauntlessly)? ‘Ata’, the narrator of the hadith, said: I do not know how there (crept in) the matter of perpetual fast.Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) however, said: He who observed perpetual fast did not fast at all; he who observed perpetual fast did not fast at all, he who observed perpetual fast did not fast at all.This hadith has been narrated by Ibn Juraij with the same chain of transmitters. Imam Muslim has narrated this hadith on the authority of Abu ‘Abbas al-Sa’ib ibn Farrukh and he was a trustworthy and reliable (narrator) among the people of Makkah.

[Sahih Muslim Book 6, Number 2591]

Abdullah ibn ‘Amar (radiallāhu’anhu) reported: Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said to me: ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, you fast continuously and stand in prayer for the whole of night. If you do like that, your eyes would be highly strained and would sink and lose sight. There is no (reward for) fasting (for him) who fasts perpetually. Fasting for three days during the month is like fasting, the whole of the month. I said: I am capable of doing more than this, whereupon he said: Observe the fast of David. He used to fast one day and break (the other) day. And he did not turn back in the encounter.

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (radiallāhu’anhu) reported: Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said to me: I have been informed that you stand for prayer the whole of night and fast during the day. I said: I do that, whereupon he(Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: If you did that you in fact strained heavily your eyes and made yourself weak. There is a right of your eyes (upon you) and a right of yourself (upon you) and a right of your family (upon you). Stand for prayer and sleep. Observe fasts and break (them).

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (radiallāhu’anhu) reported Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) as saying: With Allāh the best fasting is that of Dawud and the best prayer is that of Dawud (‘alaihissalam) for he slept half of the night and stood for prayer for the third of it and (then) slept the sixth part of it and he observed fast one day and broke on the other.

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As reported Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) as saying: The best fasting in the eye of Allāh is that of David, for he fasted for half of the age (he fasted on alternate days), and the best prayer in the eye of Allāh, the Exalted and Majestic, is that of Dawud (‘alaihissalam), for he slept for half of the night and then stood for prayer and then again slept. He prayed for one-third of the night after midnight. He (the narrator) said: I asked ‘Amr ibn Dinar whether ‘Amr ibn Aus said that he stood for prayer one-third of the night after midnight. He said: Yes.

Abu Qatadah reported that Abu al Malik informed me: I went along with your father to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, and he narrated to us that Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) was informed about my fasting and he came to me, and I placed a leather cushion filled with fibre of date-palms for him. He sat down upon the ground and there was that cushion between me and him, and he said to me: Does three days’ fasting in a month not suffice you? I said: O Messenger of Allāh, (I am capable of observing more fasts). He said: (Would) five (not suffice for you)? I said:Rasūlullāh, (I am capable of observing more fasts) He said: (Would) seven (fasts) not suffice you? I said: Messenger of Allāh, (I am capable of observing more fasts). He (the Prophet) then said: (Would) nine (fasts not suffice you)? I said: Messenger of Allāh, (I am capable of observing more fasts). He said: (Would) eleven (fasts not suffice you)? I said: Rasūlullāh, (I am capable of observing more fasts than these). Thereupon Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam)said: There is no fasting (better than) the fasting of David which comprises half of the age, fasting a day and not fasting a day.

Abu Qatadah (radiallāhu’anhu) reported that a person came to Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and said: ORasūlullāh, How do you observe fast? Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) felt annoyed. When ‘Umar Al-Khattab (radiallāhu’anhu) noticed his annoyance, he said: We are well pleased with Allāh as our Lord, with Islām as our Code of Life, and with Muhammad as our Prophet. We seek refuge with Allāh from the anger of Allāh and that of His Messenger. ‘Umar kept on repeating these words till he calmed down.

Then Umar said: O Messenger of Allāh, what is the position of one who perpetually observes fasts? Thereupon he(Rasūlullāh Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: He neither fasted nor broke it, or he said: He did not fast and he did not break it. He (‘Umar) said: What about him who observes fast for two days and breaks one day. There upon he(Rasūlullāh Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: Is anyone capable of doing it? He (‘Umar) said: What is the position of him who observes fast for a day and breaks on the other day? Thereupon he (Rasūlullāh Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: That is the fast of Dawud (‘alaihissalam).He (‘Umar) said: What about him who observes fast one day and breaks it for two days. Thereupon he (Rasūlullāh Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: I wish, I were given strength to observe that. Thereafter he (Rasūlullāh Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: The observance of three days’ fast every Month and that of Ramadān every year is a perpetual fasting.I seek from Allāh that fasting on the day of ‘Arafah may atone for the sins of the preceding and the coming years, and I seek from Allāh that fasting on the day of Ashura may atone for the sins of the preceding year.

Abu Qatadah al-Ansari (radiallāhu’anhu) reported that Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) was asked about his fasting. Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) felt annoyed. Thereupon ‘Umar (radiallāhu’anhu) said: We are pleased with Allāh as the Lord, with Islām as our Code of Life, with Muhammad as the Messenger and with our pledge (to you for willing and cheerful submission) as a (sacred) commitment.

He was then asked about perpetual fasting, whereupon he Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: He neither fasted nor did he break it, or he did not fast and he did not break it.

He was then asked about fasting for two days and breaking one day. He (Rasūlullāh Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: And who has strength enough to do it?

He was asked about fasting for a day and breaking for two days, whereupon he Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: May Allāh bestows upon us strength to do it.

He was then asked about fasting for a day and breaking on the other, whereupon he (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam)said: That is the fasting of my brother Dawud (‘alaihissalam).

He (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) was then asked about fasting on Monday, whereupon he (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: It was the day on which I was born, on which I was commissioned with prophethood or revelation was sent to me, (and he (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) further) said: Three days’ fasting every month and of the whole of Ramadān every year is a perpetual fast.

He (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) was asked about fasting on the day of ‘Arafah (9th of DzuI-Hijjah), whereupon he(Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: It expiates the sins of the preceding year and the coming year.

He (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) was asked about fasting on the day of ‘Ashura (10th of Muharram), whereupon he(Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: It expiates the sins of the preceding year.

(Imām Muslim said that in this hadith there is a) narration of Imam Shu’ba that he was asked about fasting on Monday and Thursday, but we (Imām Muslim) did not mention Thursday for we found it as an error (in reporting).